Shaghur
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Shaghur | ||
|
||
| Hebrew | שגור | |
| Arabic | الشاغور | |
| Name meaning | "Valley" | |
| Government | City (from 2005) | |
| Also spelled | Shagor (officially) | |
| District | North | |
| Population | 29,200 (2007) | |
| Jurisdiction | 17,737 dunams (17.7 km²) | |
| Mayor | Salih Debbah | |
Shaghur or Shagor (Hebrew: שגור, Arabic: الشاغور ash-Shaghur) is an Israeli-Arab city in the North District of Israel located east of the coastal city of Acre (Akka). It was formed in 2003 with the merger of three Arab local councils - Majd al-Krum, Deir al-Asad and Bi'ina. It was declared a city in 2005. It is the third largest Arab locality in the North District after Nazareth and Shefa-'Amr. The name Shaghur comes from the name of the nearby valley which borders the al-Araas mountain in which the city is built upon.[1] The city had a population of 28,500 at the end of 2005.
Contents |
[edit] History
Shaghur's components, Majd al-Krum, Deir al-Asad and Bi'ina - like most Arab villages in the Galilee - were largely agricultural. The main crops were olives, figs, citrus and pomegranates. The three villages were captured by Israeli forces on October 30, 1948 in Operation Dekel during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. In 1956 about 1,275 acres of land from the villages that make up Shaghur were labeled "closed areas" by the Israeli government. In 1961 the restricted area was used to form the nearby city of Karmiel.[1][2] During the 2006 Lebanon War between Israel and Hezbollah, as many as 43 of the latter's Katyusha rockets landed in or near Shaghur's neighborhoods, killing four civilians. The Jewish city of Karmiel - which is adjacent to Shaghur - and an alleged artillery installment on a nearby hill were Hezbollah's apparent target.[3][4] The killed were Muhammad Subhi Mana, Baha Karim, Miriam Assadi and Fathi Assadi.[3]
[edit] Majd al-Krum
Majd al-Krum (Arabic: مجد الكروم, Hebrew: מג'ד אל-כרום) covers the entire western portion of Shaghur. Its name means "glory of the vineyard" in Arabic. Majd al-Krum receives it name for its history of growing grapes. Ancient ruins (located on the outskirts of the town), comprising of pits built into the rocks where the residents used their feet to press their grape crop to make wine. In 2003, Majd al-Krum had a population of 13,800.
According to an eyewitness, Israeli forces killed 12 alleged Arab Liberation Army-aligned militiamen by hanging during the capture of Majd al-Krum in the 1948 War.[5]
[edit] Deir al-Asad
Deir al-Asad (Arabic: دير الأس, Hebrew: דייר אל-אסד) makes up the majority of eastern Shaghur. Its name literally means "the lion's monastery" in Arabic, however it receives its name from the Assadi tribe that settled or founded the town. The town is mostly populated by Assadi and Debbah families. According to the 1931 British census, Deir al-Asad had 858 residents, and 2,920 in 1970. In 2003, it had a population of 8,400.
Before 1961, Deir al-Asad was self-sufficient in food as it produced satisfactory amounts of meat, fruit, wheat and vegetables for subsistence use and sold most surplus in Acre or Nazareth. After the confiscation of village lands, only 10% of the labor force is able to work on the land and over 80% have to commute daily to businesses in Haifa or work as laborers on Jewish-owned farms.[6][1]
[edit] Bi'ina
Bi'ina (Arabic: بعنة, Hebrew: בענה) forms the remainder of the eastern Shaghur. The town's population in 2003 was 5,600. In 1981, Bedouins from the Sawaed tribe based in Rame settled in the town and formed a new neighborhood.
[edit] Demographics
According to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), in 2007, Shaghur had a mostly Muslim population of 29,200, with a minority of Christian residents in the central eastern part of the city. In 1948, the majority of the villages' residents remained in the area and received several refugees from nearby al-Birwa. However, a number of Arabs did flee from Majd al-Krum and settled in the Shatila refugee camp in Lebanon. According to Abu Nisa, a refugee from Majd al-Krum, some of these refugees return to visit their home towns as well as Islamic holy places, such as the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Cave of the Patriarchs after obtaining European citizneships.[7]
The gender makeup in 2005 was 14,600 males and 13,900 females. The age distribution was 49.4% 19 years of age or younger, 17% between the ages of 20-29, 19.8% between the ages of 30-44, 10.6% between the ages of 45-64 and 3.2% 65 and older. The percentage of families with four or more children was 34.01% in 2003.[8] The city's population increased by 7% in 2005 and in total, approximately by 2,500 persons. Its current population is 28,500 and was expected to increase to 29,200 in 2006.[9]
[edit] Economy
The city has rapidly drifted from a mostly agricultural-based economy into a commercial center and midway between the Galilee's coastal cities and Nazareth and for surrounding villages and local councils. It remains in friendly and cooperative communication with the neighboring city of Karmiel and the nearby Arab local councils of Nahf and Rame. The city is filled with restaurants, various shops and stores and three gas stations as well as a weekly souk or open-air market.
Despite the merger of the three old municipalities, Shaghur's economy is not improving as expected and the city still remains quite poor and unmanaged due to political boycotts. According to the CBS, in 2004, there were 6,674 salaried workers. The mean monthly salary was 3,663 NIS The city's average income per capita decreased by -1.04 NIS to 1,093 NIS ranking it Israel's 19th poorest municipality. The amount of employed persons in the city that received above twice the average wage was 1.45% in 2003.[8] Its population density is also increasing because of the city's inability to expand residentially and commercially beyond its jurisdiction.
[edit] Education
According to the CBS, Shaghur has eighteen schools (nine elementary, three middle and six secondary). In total there are 7,473 students; 4,276 in elementary, 1,822 in middle and 1,375 in middle school. In 2005, 43.5% of 12th grade students received matriculation certificates - an increase of 11.45% in 2003. The percentage of students aged 20-25 was 5.64% in 2003.[8]
[edit] Politics
The recently formed city has experienced a lack of cooperation between its two major components, Majd al-Krum and Deir al-Asad, in the wake of recent elections for city mayor won by a candidate from Deir al-Asad, Salih Debbah. The residents of Majd al-Krum refusing to abide by the leadership of a Deir al-Asad man boycotted the new local government, and this particular area consequently is at an economic and social disadvantage relative to the other neighborhoods that make up Shaghur.
[edit] Sports
Shaghur does not have any official sports teams to represent the city, however, two of its components maintain football teams. In 2005-2006, Maccabi Bi'ina, Beitar Bi'ina, Deir al-Asad participated in the Northern Divisions of Liga Gimel.
[edit] Notable people associated with Shaghur
- Mohammad Bakri - actor and film-maker; former resident of Bi'ina
- Mahmoud Darwish - Palestinian poet; partly educated in Deir al-Asad
- Uri Davis - academic and activist; took sanctuary in Deir al-Asad while evading IDF service
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c H. Amun, Uri Davis and N. D. San´allah: Deir al-Asad: The Destiny of an Arab Village in Galilee, in Palestinian Arabs in Israel: Two Case Studies, Ithaca Press, London 1977, pp. 4-5.
- ^ Sabri Jiryis: The Arabs in Israel 1st American edition 1976 ISBN 0-85345-377-2 (updated from the 1966 ed.) With a foreword by Noam Chomsky. (First English edition; Beirut, Institute for Palestine Studies, 1968). Chapter 5.
- ^ a b Civilians under assault, Case Studies: Karmiel, Majd al-Krum and Deir al-Assad Human Rights Watch
- ^ The Arab citizens in Israel and the 2006 War with Lebanon Mossawa Center
- ^ Chapter 9, Part 2 or 2, Encyclopedia of the Palestine Problem
- ^ David Gilmour: Dispossessed. The Ordeal of the Palestinians. Sphere books, Great Britain, 1983, (first published in 1980). pp.108
- ^ Inside a Palestinian refugee camp: Palestine Pilgrim BBC News 2008-05-17.
- ^ a b c Local Councils and Municipalities - Rank, Cluster Membership, Variable and Standardized Values and Ranking for Variables Used Israel Central Bureau of Statistics
- ^ Populations of Localities Numbering Above 1,000 Residents Israel Central Bureau of Statistics
|
|||||||||||||
|
||||||||
